Google Play hits 25B downloads; Heavily discounted apps on offer
The Google Play store, home to 6,75,000 apps and games for the Android platform, has crossed the 25 billion downloads mark. It took around three years to cross the 10 billion mark in December last year but since then, the store has more than doubled that number in less than a year (around 10 months).
To celebrate the milestone, Google is offering a five-day promo so that regular users can choose from a collection of apps from leading developers like Gameloft, Electronic Arts, Rovio, runtastic and Full Fat, among others, for just 25 cents (Rs 13.35). The company will also offer some special collections, such as 25 movies you must own, 25 banned books, 25 albums that changed the world and its 25 top selling magazines – all at special prices.
"Whether you're looking for directions, checking e-mail or sharing a picture with friends, apps are now an indispensable part of life. We've now crossed 25 billion downloads from Google Play and to celebrate, we're offering some great discounts for the next five days," wrote Jamie Rosenberg, director (digital content) at Google, in an official Android blog.
The featured apps with up to 75 per cent discount (as of now) include Angry Birds Space Premium, The Cat in the Hat – Dr. Seuss, OfficeSuite Pro 6 + (PDF & HD), Granny Smith, runtastic PRO, Asphalt 7: Heat, Ocean HD, Draw Something, Clouds & Sheep Premium, Let's Create! Pottery, Tasks, Sudoku, NFL Kicker 13 and Symphony of Eternity. Note that all these apps are available for a uniform price – Rs 13.35, to be precise.
The other big player in the apps sector is Apple. The company first launched its App Store back in July 2008 (a little earlier than Google) and it already crossed the 25 billion downloads mark in March this year. To celebrate hitting the milestone, Apple was then giving away a '$10,000 App Store Gift Card' to the lucky user who downloaded the 25 billionth app.
(Edited by Sanghamitra Mandal)
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